Zomo the Rabbit: A Trickster Tale from West Africa

by Gerald McDermott

Overview

Zomo the rabbit, a trickster from West Africa, wants wisdom. But he must accomplish three apparently impossible tasks before Sky God will give him what he wants. Is he clever enough to do as Sky God asks? "The tale moves along with the swift concision of a good joke, right down to its satisfying punch line.”--Publishers Weekly "Wildly exuberant, full of slapstick and mischief, this version of an enduring Nigerian trickster tale, featuring a clever rabbit, is a storyteller’s delight.”--Booklist

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780547351872
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	05/01/1996
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
Lexile:	370L (what's this?)
File size:	23 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

GERALD MCDERMOTT is an internationally acclaimed author-illustrator and the creator of numerous award-winning books and animated films for children. Winner of the Caldecott Medal and two Caldecott Honors, he is also a consultant to the Joseph Campbell Foundation on mythology in education. Mr. McDermott lives in Southern California. geraldmcdermott.com

Editorial Reviews

Wildly exuberant, full of slapstick and mischief, this version of an enduring Nigerian trickster tale is a storyteller's delight. The words have the drama and immediacy of the oral tradition ("Zomo! / Zomo the rabbit. / He is not big. / He is not strong. / But he is very clever"). As Zomo talks to Sky God and outwits Big Fish, Wild Cow, and Leopard, the book design reinforces the surprising exploits of a trickster who is cunning but may not always be wise. In his figures and tropical landscapes, set against bright yellow sunlit pages, McDermott blends the brilliant geometric patterns of West African kunte cloth with styles from theater and collage. There's a sense of helter-skelter movement, as if Zomo may dart off the edge of the world, as if he can barely contain his dancing energy. McDermott's note points out Zomo's cultural descendants, including Brer Rabbit. In "The Fortune-Tellers" , Hyman's West African setting for Alexander's original trickster tale is meticulously detailed with a precise sense of place. McDermott's tale is a larger-than-life story of wit and animal energy, for laughing out loud.

Hazel Rochman